Posted on: October 6, 2025
Moralio
Verified ownerGames: 223 Reviews: 15
A gritty, tight thriller
The Drifter is a small, tense adventure game that feels like it was made by people who actually care about pacing. The story’s split into short chapters that keep the pace moving, and the tension builds in a way that’s rare for point-and-click games. I had fun with it, even when it frustrated me. There are sequences where you have to do specific actions in a specific order, under time pressure. You can restart as many times as you want, but when the clock’s ticking and you’re pixel-hunting for the right hotspot, it can get annoying. Thankfully there is a button that highlights all interactable objects. The presentation shows its budget, though. A lot of scenes just fade to black while the narration carries the story. No cutscenes or animation, just narration. Thankfully the voice work is really good. Compared to old adventure games of the ‘90s The Drifter feels... leaner? You're never juggling 20 locations or 15 unrelated puzzles at once. And if you get lost, there is a “current topics” menu, basically a reminder of what your character’s thinking about—helps a lot if you step away for a few days and forget what you were doing. It’s a small thing, but it makes the experience smoother. The inventory could be better, though. Items are tiny and monochrome, and sometimes I had to hover over each one just to figure out what it was. A splash of color or slightly larger icons would go a long way. The Drifter isn’t perfect. It’s clearly a low-budget game that punches above its weight. The voice work, the pacing, and the atmosphere make it worth playing.
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